Developing countries like India and China are unlikely to accept binding greenhouse gas reduction targets at the Washington summit on climate change, Australian Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said.
Climate change officials from 16 of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters are meeting in Washington for a two-day summit to discuss ways to reduce emissions.
Speaking after the first day of meetings, Turnbull said although binding targets would not be set, there was shared recognition that climate change was a pressing issue needing cooperative action.
"It is unlikely ... that the major developing countries like China and India would accept binding targets in the sense that we talk about them in Australia," Turnbull told a local radio in Melbourne.
"What is good is that we are seeing a recognition around the table from the countries that
represent 80 per cent of the global economy, 80 per cent of emissions, and in fact two-thirds
of population, that everybody has to be in it," he said.
Turnbull said one agreement under discussion would have countries like China and India agree to a particular goal with a reward for beating it but no penalty for falling short.
"The challenge that these countries face is that they are pulling hundreds of millions of people a year out of poverty and to do that they need rapid growth in energy," he said.
"You need economic growth and you need energy to lift people out of poverty, and of course if it's clean energy, clean development, then you win on both sides of the ledger," he further added.